Electric furnace.



A. HELFENSTEIN.

ELECTRIC FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1909. RENEWED JULY 26, 1911.

Patented 12, 1911. I

1,002,843. B 2 Han s .15 5 e I /6 5 .1 j i 5} 1 2 EB I T %)/WWU\ I Q J47/O17/4/H' amarf A. HELPENSTEIN.

ELEGTRIG FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED 11qv.1s, 1909. RENEWED JULY 26, 1911.

1,002,843. Patented Sept. 12,1911

$1 SEIBETSSHEET 2.

WWW w M ALOIS HELFENSTEIN, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

ELECTRIC FURNACE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

Application filed November 16, 1909, Serial No. 528,362. Renewed July 26, 1911. Serial No. 640,694.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoIs HnLrnNsTnrN, a citizen of the Republic-of Switzerland, and residing at Vienna, 1n the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

' furnaces and serves for the conducting of 4 the electric currentbetween the various furnaces; upon this massive conducting body single furnace shafts are constructed whereby each single shaft may be used as an independent working hearth so that it is possible to conduct melting operations of different characters in the different furnaces and different products may be obtained while all of the separate shafts are working, al though all,of the shafts have but one common bottom electrode.

The furnace system constituting the present invention is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, in which like 7 numerals designate like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring particularly to the drawings Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of half of the furnace system, three shafts being shown; Fig. '2 is a horizontal section ofthe same taken below the line AA of Fig. 1; Fig: 3 represents a section taken on the line B-B of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: represents a section showing'a single shaft and the flue, the same being-taken on the line CC of Fig. 2; Fig S'i-epreserits a top plan view of the furnace system.-

In the drawings I have represented a furnace system consisting of six distinct shafts each being adapted to operate as a working -'hearth, and all having a common bottom lectrode, but I wish it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the arrangement shown, as any arrangement oonslsting outlet.

of a plurality of independent working hearths all having a common bottom electrode lies within the scope of the present 1 invention.

Referring particularly to the drawingsa a a at, a, and a represent the six furnace shafts. each being, as before stated, adapted to operate as an independent working heart-h and in which melting operations of different characters may be carried out. Each of the shafts is provided with sidewalls I), and the furnace system has a common bottom structure T, as shown. Each furnace shaft is provided with a charging opening 0, and into each shaft plunges an electrode e. The furnaces are preferably arranged as shown, that is in two parallel rows of three furnaces each, the

two rows being separated by a longitudinally disposed flue chamber f arranged in parallelism with each row of furnace shafts. The fine chamber is connected with each of the furnace shafts by means of passages f, so that the gases generated in the various shafts during the electric melting operations may pass to the flue chamber f and find acommon A brick work or other masonry structure. 9', the walls of which form one side of each of the furnace shafts, is also disposed between the two rows of furnace shafts, the brick Work 9 being shown in Fig. 4. Placed upon the botttom T of the furnace structure is a massive electric conducting body D, the same serving as a bottom electrode common .to all of the furnace shafts described. I

The conducting body D consists in general of a rectangular-shaped mass of conducting material having lateral extensions which enter the various furnace shafts. As will be seen upon reference to the drawings, the conducting body D does not serve as a means of communication of the-molten material reduced in the furnace shafts so that the molten material could pass from one shaft to the other, but in conducting melting opin the known manner and the current will tion continues andthe molten material accur'nulates the electrodes E Wlll be raised 1n Cir the known manner. The final molten product may be drawn off independently from each of the furnace shafts.

A damper h serves to regulate the flue passages f, as shown. v

I claim za 1. In an electric furnace, a plurality of separate shafts, each shaft being adapted to work as an independent melting hearth, an electrode disposed ineach shaft, and a single bottom electrode serving as common bottom electrode for all of the shafts,

2. In an electric furnace, a plurality of separate shafts, each being adapted to work as an independent melting hearth, an upper vertical electrode disposed in each shaft, and a conducting body arranged horizontally in the lower part of the furnace, said body serving as a common. bottom electrode for "all s of said shafts.

-3. In an electric furnace, a plurality of shafts, each shaftbeing'adapted to Work as :an lndepcndent melting hearth, an upper several shaft-s, said conducting body serving as a common bottom electrode for all of the shafts. w 1" 4:. In an electrlc'furnace, two rows of vertical shafts each of said shafts being adapted vto work as an independent melting hearth,

an upper electrode disposed in each of said flue chamber with each of said shafts, anda conducting body arranged in the lower part of said furnace, saidconducting body serving as common bottom electrode for all of said shafts.

5. A. furnace structure comprising a plurality of shafts, each shaft being adapted to work as an independent melting hearth, a due chamber, passages connecting said flue chamber with each of said shafts, an upper electrode arranged in each of said shafts, and a conducting body arranged in the lower part of said furnace structure and beneath said shafts in such a manner as to close communication between the lower parts of said shafts, said conducting body serving as common bottom electrode for all of said shafts.

6. A furnace structure comprising two rows of vertical shafts, each shaft being adapted to work as an independent melting hearth, a vertical upper electrode disposed within each of said shafts, a line chamber arranged between said rows of furnace shafts, passages connecting said flue chamber with each of said vertical shafts, and a conducting body horizontally arranged in the bottom of said furnace structure in such a manner that a portion of its body lies beneath each of said vertical shafts, said conducting body serving as common bottom electrode for all of said shafts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALOIS I-IELFENSTITEIN. lVitnesses JYsGNEz KNon SnLMAcnLn, AUGUST FUGGER. 

